HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — Technology is changing the way local police departments do their job. So far, this year High Point Police Chief Travis Stroud says his officers are responding to fewer violent crimes, and the department wants to keep it that way.

They are planning to open a real-time crime center.

The center is currently in the proposal phase. The department made a presentation to the city’s Public Safety Committee on Wednesday to give them a better idea of what they can expect.

“The goal is to get access to the cameras in the school systems, Housing Authority, private residences and private businesses to gain access to … more cameras in the city to help us with real-time crime,” High Point Police Real Time Crime Center Supervisor Keoda Brown said.

The High Point Police Department is creating a team for its real-time crime center, which is also known as the RTCC.

Brown has 14 years of law enforcement experience as an officer with the HPPD. She now works on the civilian side of the department and is ready to help build the center from the ground up.

“The goal is to catch … a suspect or someone … who has just committed a crime … a lot quicker,’ Brown said.

The center would be housed on the third floor of the police department located on Westchester Drive. Initially, the center will operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are plans to eventually run 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Brown says she and an analyst make up the RTCC’s current staff, but they have a goal to add sworn officers.

“We’re just waiting on everyone at each step to approve this center because we’re ready to roll,” Brown said. “I’ve already been getting information from different tech companies to help us build the room and quotes and things of that nature.”

The center would have dozens of monitors to look at camera surveillance across the city from traffic cameras, homes, businesses and schools and a police radio for staff to communicate with officers.

Business owners and homeowners can voluntarily share access to their cameras with the RTCC, but the department says community participation would be a great asset.

“I know the public thinks … everybody is being watched at all times, but the truth is they’re not. And so this doesn’t help us watch everyone at all times, but it definitely helps with solving crime. In the real-time crime center, we’re able to not only … view that incident but zoom in on that incident, possibly get the officer critical information that they wouldn’t otherwise have immediately,” Brown said.

The HPPD does have the allocated funds for the real-time crime center. Its next step is for RTCC staff to give a presentation about the proposed center to the city council in two weeks.